Electric contact device.



A. A. KENT.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10. I909. RENEWED ocr.22, 1915.

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WITNESSES Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- A. A. KENT.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE. APPLICATION men use. 10, 1909. RENEWED OCT. 22.1915.

Patented July 25, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR'ATWATER KENT, OF PHILADELPTI IA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC CONTACT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916.

Application filed December 10, 1909, Serial No. 532,388. Renewed October22, 1915. Serial No. 57,379.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR ATWATER KENT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric ContactDevices, of which the following is a full, clear, and completedisclosure.

My invention relates to electric contact devices; that is to say,devices by means of which an electric current is or may be mechanicallyclosed and broken, and more particularly to that class of contactdevices used for making and breaking an igniting circuit, or the primarycircuit of an ignition system, of an internal combustion engine.

The object of my invention is to produce an electric contact device,simple and positive in its action, of few parts all of which are readilyaccessible and removable, should it be desired to adjust or remove thesame; to so arrange the parts as to make the device easy and inexpensiveto manufacture, and at the same time to make a device which will besubstantially certain in its operation.

Further objects of my invention will appear in the specification andclaims below.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, and inwhich the same reference characters are employed to designate the sameparts throughout the various views, Figure 1, is an elevational sideview of my improved contact device with a part of the cover or casingremoved or broken away to expose the operating mechanism; Fig. 2 is asimilar elevation 01' view in which the parts of the operating mechanismare shown in section; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown inFig.- 1; Fig. .t is a similar view in which parts are shown insection,and Fig. 5 is a similar plan view in section, taken longitudinally ofthe device, the lifter being shown in plan view.

My contact device preferably consists of acircular plate or disk 1,provided at its center with a transverse sleeve or hearing portion orhub 2 in which the operating shaft 3 is suitably journaled. 1 preferablyprovide the said shaft 3. with an enlarged shoulder a and having asocket 5 into which the driving shaft 6, driven in any suitable mannerfrom a suitable source of supply, may be inserted and tightly held, asby a set .is preferably provided with one or more milled recessesforming ratchet teeth 8 and a groove 9 is provided in said shaft inwhich a suitable locking plate 10 is seated,

said plate 10 being firmly attached to the maindisk or plate 1 as by ascrew 11, I preferably extend the hearing or hub 2 of the operatingshaft a short distance on the opposite sidepf the plate to form aninclosme or hearing 12 for that part of the shaft in which the ratchetteeth 8 are formed, and said bearing is provided with an opening 13 inits top side to expose the ratchet teeth 8. From this it will beobserved that the shaft may be inserted from the back side of the sleeveor hub 2 and fitting within the same is supported for its entire length,and at the same time is prevented from longitudinal movement by thelocking plate 10 fitting within the annular groove 9 of the operatingshaft 3, and that the ratchet teeth 8 areexposed through the opening 13.The plate or disk 1 is also provided on its front side with a lug orhearing block 1-1, and in the side of said block, adjacent saidoperating shaft 3 is provided a suitable hole or recess 15 into whichthe cylindrical stem 16 of the lifter or contact actuating member 17 isloosely fitted. The forward end of the lifter 17 is provided with a hookor pawl 18 adapted to engage the ratchet teeth 8. The main or bodyportion of the lifter 17 is preferably flattened so that the flatsurface thereof, resting upon the ratchet 8, will prevent the lifterfrom turning as it is held down thereupon by the spring 19. spring 19 isconnected to the lifter 17 and the other end of which is attached to asuitable pin 20 preferably secured to the lug 14:. As a result of thisconstruction the spring 19, in, addition to holding the flat end of Oneend of said the lifter firmly pressed against the ratchet 8, tends atall times to draw the lifter 17 rearwardly, so that the end of the stem16 normally bottoms in the hole or recess 15.

It will be further observed that as the operating shaft 3 is turned inthe direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2, the lifter .will be drawnforward against the tension of the spring 19, until the flat portion ofthe lifter immediately in the rear of the hook or pawl 18 rests upon thecylindrical portion 8 of the operating shaft 3 between the ratchet teeth8. As the said operating shaft 3 then continues to rotate, the ratchetteeth 8 will turn downwardly out of engagement with the depending hookor pawl 18 of the lifter and disengage from same. When the hook 18 isthus released from the teeth 8 the.

spring-19 immediately returns the lifter to its normal position, withthe. stem 16 resting upon the bottom of the hole or recess 15,

but 1n moving rearwardly in this manner the hook or pawl 18 rides orslides upwardly over the cylindrical portion 8 of the shaft between theratchet teeth, with-the result that as the lifter is given thissubstantially reciprocatory motion as it is advanced by the ratchet andreturned by the spring 19 the free end of the lifter will travel in alooped path, and on its return movement will ride up over the shaft andwill return in a slightly different path from that in which it wasadvanced. The forward or flattened end of the lifter 17 is preferablywedge-shaped or sharpened to form a movable-contact-support engagingedge 18 as shown plainly in Fig. 2.

Mounted upon the lug or bearing block 1 1 is the movable contact memberof the circuit closing device, consisting preferably of a flat springarm 21, one end of which 18 rigidly secured to said lug or block 14:,and

a stiff substantially relatively inflexible member 22, the free end ofthe said spring arm 21 being provided with the movable contact point 23.The said stiff and relatively inflexible member 22 is preferablyotherwise rigidly fastened to extending through said stiff member 22 andthrough said spring arm or member 21 and through a stiff plate 25 on theopposite side of said arm. This stiff member 22 is sprung away from thearm 21 from at or about the point at which it is riveted or otherwisesecured thereto. and then extending substantially parallel thereto, andresting against the top of the bearing 12 which acts as a stop,terminates in a hook 26 which engages the opposite side of said armadjacent said Said member 22 terminates at a point adjacent thewedge-shaped or sharpened end 18 of said lifter 17 with a projection 27extending toward said sharpened end 18 and into the path through whichsaid end travels on its return move ment as has been previouslydescribed. The said projection 27 is preferably struck up from orpressed out of the said stiff member 22 to form an integral edge orprojecting portion or edge, as plainly shown in Fig. 2.

By the above construction the stiffened member 22 normally restingagainst the bearing 12 acts as a stop for the spring or resilient arm ormember 21 since the parts are so assembled as to cause the arm or member21 to press with a predetermined tension againstthe overhanging end orhook 26, and prevents the said spring arm or member 21 from trembling orvibrating under the influence of any shocks or jars which might beimpartedto thesame, at the same time serving to positively impart to thesaid spring arm or member 21, and the contact point 23 carried thereby,a vibratory motion around the short flexible portion 28 of the saidspring arm or member 21 when the said stiff member is engaged by thesharpened end 18 of the lifter 17 on its or disk 1 is a lug 29 whichextends preferably obliquely to the said disk or plate 1 and the same isprovided with a suitable opening into which is fitted a bushing 30 ofinsulating material. WVithin said bushing 30 is tightly fitted acylindrical stud 31 of brass or other electrical conductive material,the inner end of said stud being supplied or provided with a relativelystationary but adjustable contact point 32. This contact point mayconsist of a screw 33 passing through the inner end of said stud 31 andterminating in a platinum point 32 adjacent the platinum contact point23 on the arm or member 21'. To firmly hold the screw 33 from beingturned accidentally, the end of the stud 31 is preferably provided witha. kerf 3a passing through the screwthreaded hole in which the saidscrew 33 is mounted, so that the two ends of the stud 31 firmly pressagainst the screw 33. The outer end of said stud 31 is provided with asuitable binding post 35 to which one of the leads of the electriccircuit may be attached. Inasmuch as the other lead of the electriccircuit may be grounded it will be apparent that the circuit will beclosed whenever the two contact points 22 and'32 are brought intoengagement by the action of the lifter 17 as it starts on its returnmovement, and will be broken again as soon as the sharpened orwedge-shaped end 18 of the lifter 17 passes from beneath or out ofengagement with the projection 29 on the inflexible member 22.

the following manner: The end of the said spring arm or member 21 isslotted as at 36 and a screw 37 is screwed into a suitable threaded holein said lug or bearing block 1 1 in alinement with said slot 36, thehead a of the said screw 37 resting squarely on the top of the saidmovable member 21. On either side of said screw 37, I provide two pins383S adapted to register and pass through suitable openings, arranged oneither side of said slot 36, in the end of said arm or member 21, andthe ends of the said pins, 38-38, just pass through the thin spring endof the movable contact member. When therefore, it is desired to removethe movable contact member it is merely necessary to unscrew the screw37 sufliciently to allow the end of the spring arm or member 21 to belifted from off the pins.3838

whereupon the said member can be slid for-.

wardly out from under the head of a. screw 38 without entirely removingsaid screw 37. To replace the movable contact member the same is readilyslipped under the head of the screw 37 until the pins register and passthrough their respective openings, and the screw 37 is then tighteneddown upon the end of the movable member, rigidly holding the same in theproper position.

Upon the back of the disk or plate 1, I provide suitable lugs orprojections 3939 by means of which the whole contact device may bemounted upon a suitable support. The same, however, are preferablyoffset rearwardly as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 so as not to interferewith the truing up of the outer edge of the disk or plate 1, in a latheor other suitable machine.

\Vith the parts arranged in the manner above described and asillustrated in the various views of the drawings, the device is verysimple in construction and. the machine work necessary to produce thesame is small and very easily effected,-that is to say, by making .themain plate 1 of disk form the same can be readily trued upon a lathe,and none of the parts, such as the lugs or supports 39-39, the lug orprojection 29, by means of which the current is conducted through thestud 31 to the stationary contact point, nor the lug or bearing block14E upon which the lifter is mounted, will be in the way, or' interferein the slightest manner with the turning of the edge of the disk 1 orthe turning of a suitable shoulder 40 upon which may be seated aplaincylindrical cupshaped cover 41 which incloses and protects all theoperating parts of the device. When constructed in this manner the saidcover 11 may be held and retained in place on the shoulder 40 by asingle screw 12 passing through said cover andthreaded in a suitableopening 43 in said plate or disk 1.

v The above construction also provides for the bringing of theconnection with the stationary contact point, obliquely through the backof the plate or disk 1, to a point adjacent the periphery or edge of thesame where 1t is readily accessible and in a convenient poslt on forattachment with an electric circuit.

In the operation of the device it is to be observed that inasmuch as thecircuit is closed only when the lifter is on its return movement andmoving under the uniform action of the spring 19 the circuit will beclosed and broken again for a uniform and invariable substantiallyinstantaneous length of time, irrespective of the speed at which thedriving shaft is being rotated. It will also be observed that should thedriving shaft be rotated in the reverse direction, the lifter willmerely oscillate slightly in the rear of the projection 27 withoutclosing the circuit. It is further to be observed that from the momentthe two contact points 23-32 engage they are held together undertension, for as the stiff and inflexible member 2 2 is forcedupward-from its normal position against the bearing 12, by the end ofthe lifter, against the stationary contact point 32, the hook or pawl 26will move on and away from the end of the spring arm or member 21 andallow the points to engage under the tension of the said arm 21. Whenthe end of the lifter is disengaged, however, and slides from under theend of the projection 27, the hook 26, reengaging the end of the springarm 21, will positively separate-the contact points instantaneously andwill prevent the end of the movable'contact point from vibrating andaccidentally closing the circuit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United. States is:

1. In acontact device, a circular support ing plate or disk, a ournalconcentric there to, an operating shaft mounted in said journal, astationary and a movable contact point, means operated by said shaft tointermittently close and open a circuit through said contact points,means to support said stationary contact point, said insulated meansextending obliquely to the axis of said shaft through said disk, theouter end of said means extending beyond the edge of said plate, and abinding post at said outer end and projecting beyond the edge of saiddisk. i

2. In a contact device, the combination of a disk-like plate, anoperating shaft concentric thereto, a ratchet carried by the end of saidshaft, said shaft being provided with a circular groove adjacent saidplate, a sec- 1 contact, and means to vibrate said inflexible andforming a stop against 0nd .plate fixed to said first mentioned ,plateand engaging said groove in said shaft to rotatably lock said shaft fromlongitudinal movement, and a contact actuating member operated by saidratchet. l

3. In a contact device, a combination of a supporting plate or disk, ajournal concentric therewith and provided with a slot, an operatingshaft. rotatably mounted in said journal, said shaft being provided witha circular groove, a plate fixed to said disk and extending into saidslot and engaging said shaft to rotatably lock said shaft fromlongitudinal movement, and means, operated by said shaft, tointermittently make and break a circuit.

4:. In a contact device, a combination of a supporting plate or disk, anoperating shaft, concentric therewith, and a ratchet not greater thanthe size of said shaft carried by said shaft and adjacent the end of thesame, a lifter operated by said ratchet, a movable contact memberoperated by said lifter, means to lock said shaft from longitudinalmovement, a stationary contact point and insulated means extendingobliquely to the axis of said shaft through said disk or plateand beyondthe periphery of said disk, said ratchet locking device, lifter, movablecontact point, and stationary contact meme ber, and one end ofstationary contact support, all being mounted upon one side and withinthe periphery of said'plate, and a cup-shaped cover inclosing said partsand seated adjacent the periphery of said disk.

5. In a contact device, a movable contact member, comprising a flatspring, means to fixedly support said spring at one end, a, stationarycontact point adjacent the free 40 end of said spring, a relativelyinflexible member supported by and secured at one end to one side ofsaidspring at a. point near the point of support of said spring, saidinflexible member being provided at its free end with an overhangingportion forming a stop against which said presses in a direction towardsaid stationary member to bring said contact member alternately into andout of engagement with said stationary contact point.

6. In a contact device, a movable contact member, comprising a flatspring, means to fixedly support said spring at one end, a contact pointcarried by 'and adjacent the flexible member supported by and secured atone end to said spring adjacent the supported end of said spring, andextending in substantially the same direction as said spring, saidinflexible member also engaging said spring near the free end of saidspring which said spring normally presses under tension.

7. In a contact device, a movable contact spring normally member,comprising a resilient arm, a relatively stationary support to whichsaid arm is fixedly secured, a relatively inflexible member secured toone side of said arm, and extending substantially in the same directionas said arm and terminating in a hook engaging the opposite side of saidarm, said member being provided with a lifter engaging projection.

8. In a contact device, a movable contact member, comprising a resilientarm, a support to which said arm is fixedly secured, a relativelyinflexible member secured to said arm and extending substantially in thesame direction as said arm and terminating in a stop against which saidresilient member normally presses, said member being provided with alifter engaging projection, a

contact point carried by said arm, a sta-' tionary contact point, andmeans to intersaid contact points to engage.

9. In a contact device the combination with a movable contact membercomprising a resilient arm, a stationary support to which said arm isfixedly secured, a relatively inflexible member secured to and supportedby said arm on one side thereof, and extending substantially in the samedirection as said arm and terminating in a hook engaging the oppositeside of said arm, said member being provided with a projection, of aratchet and a lifter operated by said ratchet and cooperating with saidprojection.

10. In a contact device, a movable contact member, comprising aresilient arm, provided at one end with a slot extendingfrom the end ofsaid member inwardl and an opening adjacent andto one side 0 said slot,a support, a screw passing through said slot and firmly drawing said armagainst said support, and a pin also mounted on said support and passingthrough said opening in said arm.

11. In a contact device, a lifter comprising a flattened portionterminating in a hooker pawl on one side, a sharp movable contactsupport engaging edge on the opposite side, and a stem portlon narrowerin width than said flattened portion.

12. In a contact device, a lifter comprising a flattened portionterminating in ahook or pawl on one side, a sharp movable contactsupport engaging edge on the opposite side, and a cylindrical stem. v

13. In a contact device, a combination with a lifter comprising aflattened portion, a hook or pawl on one side of said flattened portionand with a sharp edge adjacent the free end of the same, said lifterterminating at one end in a reduced stem narrower in width than saidflattened portion, and a support for said lifter comprising a lug havingan opening in which said stem loosely fits.

Ill

14. In a contact device, combination with a ratchet, of a littercomprising a flatforming a stem narrower in width than saidtiattenedportion, and a support for said lifter having an opening in which saidstem loosely fits, a spring holding said flattened portion against saidratchet and normally holding said stem against the bottom of saidopening.

15. In a contact device, a movable contact member comprising a flatspring, means to fixedly secure said spring at one end, a contact pointadjacent the free end of said spring. a relatively thin inflexiblemember of sheetmaterial fastened adjacent the supported end of saidspring and on one side thereof and extending in substantially the samedirection as said spring. said inflexible member being bent at its freeend to form an overhanging portion against which said spring normallypresses under tension, and with a litter engaging projection struck upout of said member and integral therewith.

16. In a contact device, a circular plate or disk. a ratchet, a litter,a movable contact member, a contact point carried by said movablemember, a stationary contact point and asupport therefor. all. arrangedon and projecting from one side of said plate and within the peripheryof said plate, the support for said stationary contact extending throughsaid plate obliquely to the axis of said shaft and insulated therefromand having its outer end extending from the opposite side of said plateand terminating adjacent the edge of said plate.

17 In a contact device a movable contact member, comprising a flatspring, means to fixedly support said spring at one end, a contact pointon said spring adjacent the free end thereof, and a relativelyinflexible member supported by and secured at one end to one side ofsaid spring adjacent the point of support of said spring, extending insubstantially the same direction as said spring and being provided withan overhanging portion engaging the opposite side of said spring andforming a stop against which said spring normally presses.

18. In a contact device a movable contact member comprising asubstantially flat spring, means to fixedly support said spring at oneend, a contact point on and adjacent the free end of said spring and arelatively inflexible member carried by said spring, secured theretoadjacent but slightly spaced from the point of support of said springand also forming a stop against which the free end of said springnormally presses under tension.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day ofDecember, A. D.

ARTHUR ATWATER- KENT.

\Vitnesses WALTER J. LITTLE,

J. B. SIMrsoN.

